Chapter 844 Still Holding a Pipa, Half-Concealing Her Face
"Mr. Yu?"
The painted boat's lights were on, but it hadn't fully docked.
Yuan Huaimin stood on the shore and tried to call out.
The painted boat remained motionless, and the pipa music continued unabated.
Ouyang Rong, accompanied by Hu Fu and others, walked over and stopped beside Yuan Huaimin, gazing at the painted boat.
The sound of the pipa was indeed coming from this painted boat.
Yuan Huaimin and Ouyang Rong exchanged a glance, then Yuan Huaimin continued shouting:
"Is that you, Mr. Yu?"
The music inside the pleasure boat paused briefly on the second note.
An old boatman stepped out of the painted boat and looked at the crowd on the shore.
Yuan Huaimin revealed a look of joy:
"Old man, could we stop here for a moment? I'm listening to the pipa music. The boat owner might be an old friend of mine. May I pay him a visit?"
The old boatman seemed to glance at him, then quickly turned around and returned to the pleasure boat.
Yuan Huaimin turned around and smiled at everyone.
Just three breaths later, the pleasure boat started moving.
It sailed away from the shore, getting further and further away, as if avoiding the crowd.
At the same time, the pipa music stopped completely.
Yuan Huaimin: ...
"Cough cough."
Yuan Huaimin coughed, covering his mouth, and braced himself not to turn around and meet the gazes of Ouyang Rong and the others.
He continued confidently and loudly:
"Who is on board? May I ask to come and see you? I am Yuan Huaimin, the Prefect of Jiangzhou. You may have heard of my name."
The pleasure boat paused slightly.
Behind the beaded curtain at the entrance of the painted boat, a figure holding a pipa seemed to slow down for a moment.
Upon seeing this, Yuan Huaimin immediately said:
"I am not a bad person, I am just delighted by the sound of my old friend's pipa..."
The pleasure boat, which had been at a standstill, started moving again.
This time, they sped away.
Ouyang Rong, Yi Qianqiu, and the others silently turned to look at Yuan Huaimin.
Yuan Huaimin: ...
His face flushed red, and his veins bulged with anxiety.
"No, you..."
In the next instant, Yuan Huaimin was stopped by Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong brushed aside his red-necked friend, stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute towards the painted boat, and said loudly:
“I apologize for disturbing you so late at night, but your pipa playing does indeed sound very much like that of an old friend of mine, and the pipa music seems to be his creation. I am Ouyang Lianghan. I wonder if you would do me the honor of meeting me and helping me to find the answer.”
The painted boat slowly came to a stop.
This time, a timid and soft female voice came from the painted boat.
Ouyang Rong found the words unfamiliar.
"Ouyang... Lianghan? May I ask if you are the current Sima of Jiangzhou and acting governor, Ouyang Lianghan, or perhaps that young master?"
Ouyang Rong stood on the shore, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said solemnly, "It is indeed I."
The woman with the timid, soft voice hesitated for a moment, then turned to the old boatman and spoke:
"Sir, please bring our distinguished guest aboard."
Ouyang Rong breathed a slight sigh of relief, stepped forward, and waited for the boat to stop.
His gaze fell on the silhouette of a woman holding a pipa inside the painted boat, his eyes thoughtful.
This is indeed the pipa music of Master Yu, and it is the pipa version of the Lotus Boat Song. What is the relationship between this woman and Master Yu, and why does she know the "Emperor Wen" sword technique?
Behind them, Yuan Huaimin followed with a mournful expression.
Feeling the double standard applied to him, he kept muttering:
"Lianghan, the Prefect of Jiangzhou is not a low-ranking official, he's at least a fifth-rank official, wearing a red robe. These people are really ignorant..."
Yi Qianqiu seemed amused and patted Yuan Huaimin on the shoulder heavily:
"The official position is not low, but it depends on the person; it depends on who holds the position."
Yuan Huaimin blushed and argued, "What do you mean? I haven't done anything to bully men or women. I just go out a little later and come back a little earlier every day... That was before. It's not like that now." Then he used incomprehensible phrases like "prejudice in people's hearts" and "a mountain," which made everyone burst into laughter.
While waiting for the boat on the shore, Miaozhen suddenly spoke up to Ouyang Rong:
According to the Imperial Observatory, Mr. Yu indeed had no relatives, had spent half his life in the palace, and had never married.
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.
"Um."
Hu Fu did not know any Mr. Yu.
However, seeing everyone's serious expressions, and connecting what Miaozhen had said with the sound of the pipa, he seemed to recall the rumors about some important figures in the palace, and his expression also became solemn.
Khufu turned to the palace servants and instructed them, "Let the boat wait a while; there's no need to rush."
"Yes, Father-in-law."
As everyone whispered among themselves, the painted boat pushed aside the waves of the river and moored on the riverbank.
Ouyang Rong and Yuan Huaimin were the first to board the ship.
Hu Fu, Yi Qianqiu, Miaozhen, Yan Liulang, and Pei Shisan Niang followed closely behind.
The pleasure boat was quite large, able to accommodate about ten people. The entrance was separated by a double layer of gauze curtain and a beaded curtain, making it easy for the sound of the pipa to be heard.
Moreover, judging from the decorations, it reflects a girl's taste.
After Ouyang Rong and his entourage all entered the painted boat, the person they saw was indeed a plump woman.
She was holding a pipa in her arms, covering half of her face, so her whole face couldn't be seen.
Ouyang Rong glanced at her a few times. The woman playing the pipa was wearing a royal blue silk dress. Her clothes were not as luxurious as Pei Shisan Niang's, but she was still considered well-off.
The pleasure boat was empty except for her and a young maid who served tea. The maid had her head down and a somewhat bitter expression on her face. She knelt on the carpet and silently served tea to the guests.
When the group entered, the woman playing the pipa was sitting on the south side of the painted boat, her back to the river, carrying a long pipa across her body, which covered half of her face.
The eyes peeking out from behind the pipa timidly surveyed Ouyang Rong and his group.
Before her sat the only lamp on the pleasure boat, its orange glow casting a long shadow of the pipa player on the wall behind her.
And then there was the thin, drowsy maidservant beside her.
This scene, solitary and somewhat lonely.
As Ouyang Rong observed, he had already taken his seat. The moment he sat down, the woman playing the pipa eagerly asked:
"Are you really Ouyang Lianghan?"
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly:
"It is indeed me, and I have a seal to prove it."
The woman playing the pipa waved her hand, politely declining the seal he offered, saying:
"No need. In Xunyang City, no one dares to impersonate that young master."
Ouyang Rong was taken aback. The woman playing the pipa looked him up and down, then smiled sadly and said:
"Fate, it really is fate."
Ouyang Rong asked keenly, "What kind of fate?"
The woman playing the pipa lowered her head and remained silent, then raised her sleeve to wipe the corner of her eye.
Before they could say more than a few words, the woman suddenly started sobbing.
Ouyang Rong was somewhat at a loss.
Hu, Yuan, Yan, and the others, being men, understood almost instantly and subconsciously looked at Ouyang Rong, as if asking if they had become unfaithful.
Ouyang Rong took the handkerchief from Thirteen Sister's hand and immediately handed it over, somewhat amused and exasperated.
"Why is Madam crying? Did I frighten her?"
The woman playing the pipa sniffed and shook her head, saying:
"No, I'm happy to see you, young master. I won't mention my name, but my husband's surname is Luo. You can call me Luo Shi."
Ouyang Rong nodded, his gaze falling on the pipa in her arms, and asked gently:
"Who taught Luo Niang to play the pipa so well?"
Luo Niang recalled with a look of reminiscence:
"I learned it at the Luoyang Music Bureau. I once worked at the Music Bureau and know a little bit about the pipa."
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly.
This is quite far away, but considering that the old musician came from Luoyang and spent half his life there, it seems normal that he would have had dealings with the Luoyang Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district).
His expression was thoughtful.
Upon seeing this, Luo Niang suddenly asked:
"What you want to ask about is this pipa piece, not just the pipa technique, right?"
Ouyang Rong realized what was happening and immediately nodded:
"That's right, who taught you this song?"
Luo Niang pointed to Xunyang City in the distance and said with a wry smile:
“At the beginning of the year, I was at Xunyang Tower with Master Qin and we consulted an old gentleman. The old gentleman was very generous and taught me this pipa piece and some qin pieces without reservation. That’s when I learned it.”
Ouyang Rong was stunned.
Suddenly, I remembered that when the old musician went to Xunyang Tower to listen to the pipa, he seemed to have later gathered some talented young women in the city, as well as the pipa master Qin Xiaoniangzi, to hold a pipa banquet and discuss pipa techniques.
However, at the time, Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen both thought that the "Emperor Wen" sword technique was a zither piece and did not pay much attention to the pipa sounds. Even the old musician did not understand it at first and had to ask Qin Xiaoniangzi for help, let alone them who had not even understood the zither piece.
Instead, the two of them spent their time relaxing on the rooftop of Xunyang Tower, exchanging many private conversations that were "not appropriate for colleagues."
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:
"Did Mr. Yu teach you alone? Did he explain anything to you? Are you saying that you're here tonight to listen to him?"
"Neither."
Luo Niang shook her head:
“They didn’t give any instructions, nor did they tell me to stay here. Today I’m staying by the riverbank to wait for my husband. He runs a tea business in Xunyang City, and he hasn’t returned home since the curfew started last night…”
"As for this pipa piece, the old gentleman said that he was a lucky coincidence and that meeting was fate, so he taught it to us. But not many of us learned it on the spot, because the old gentleman only played it once on the spot and then changed the piece. I estimate that apart from Qin Dajia, not many people learned it at that time."
Feeling Ouyang Rong's intense gaze, Luo Niang lowered her head, hugged the pipa in her arms tightly, and whispered:
"I was able to learn it not only because I am quite skilled at playing the pipa, but also because I was feeling somewhat depressed and disappointed at the time. When I first heard this piece, I felt even more melancholy. The melody was so captivating that I memorized it and, by chance, learned it."
Ouyang Rong suddenly remembered the pipa he had forgotten in the study of Yinbingzhai.
The old musician gave Rongzhen a wooden zither as a parting gift, and gave him a wooden pipa.
At the time, I thought it was just a so-called "harmonious union".
Ouyang Rong took a deep breath.
Before the Battle of Xunyang, the Lotus Boat Song, which had always been missing from the Seven-Character Quatrain Qin Music, was casually passed on to these pipa girls by the old musician.
There's also the name "Lotus Boat Song".
“Lotus boat… lotus boat… it really is a lotus boat. Is it a coincidence or intentional, or… is it truly the beginning of a destiny…”
He looked around at the painted boat in a daze.
A mysterious sense of destiny lingered in his heart, impossible to unravel.
Under the sidelong glances of Luo Niang and the others, the young man in the scholar's robe suddenly smiled and said loudly:
"It is fate. I also know a little of this piece, but... Madam's piece seems more complete and exquisite. Would you be so kind as to play it for me in its entirety again?"
Luo Niang paused for a moment, then nodded slightly:
"Of course. Please wait a moment, young master. I'll tune the pipa. I was so excited when I saw you board the boat that I dropped the plectrum."
As she spoke, she bent down to pick up the plectrum for playing the pipa, tuned the pipa, and prepared to play another piece.
Ouyang Rong turned around and gave the instructions:
"Thirteen Sister, go prepare some dishes and set up a table of wine so that everyone can rest on the boat."
"Yes, young master."
Pei Shisan Niang immediately disembarked and bought wine and food.
Ouyang Rong stood up, preparing to move closer.
Hu Fu suddenly reached out to stop Ouyang Rong and asked Luo Niang earnestly:
"Wait, Madam said she used to work at the Luoyang Jiaofangsi (a brothel in Luoyang), so she should be married now, right?"
His tone was somewhat impolite.
The woman playing the pipa, however, was not angry and nodded gently.
"That's right, I'm already married."
Khufu frowned and asked:
"Then why did you go to a place like Xunyang Tower at the beginning of the year? We know very well that it's a place of romance and pleasure. You already have a family, and going there would be somewhat unchaste for a woman."
Seen from the side, out of sight of the others, Yi Qianqiu, upon hearing this, coldly reached out and pinched Yuan Huaimin's waist, causing the latter to gasp in shock.
Luo Niang was not angry. She turned to look at Ouyang Rong and stared at him silently for a while.
The crowd was puzzled; why were they staring at Ouyang Lianghan for no apparent reason?
Before Ouyang Rong could speak, the woman playing the pipa whispered:
"Because of you, little adult."
"Because I am the one who is in charge?"
Ouyang Rong was also somewhat surprised, and pointed to his own face to confirm.
Luo Niang chuckled and said:
"At the beginning of the year, my husband's family came to Xunyang to do business. I heard that you, my lord, were holding a pipa party at Xunyang Tower. After asking my husband's family for permission, I went there to see you. Unfortunately, perhaps because I am lowly and unlucky, I did not even get to see your face at that banquet."
She stroked the pipa and sighed:
"On the contrary, I learned some pipa pieces that were very beneficial from a respected old gentleman."
This time, not only Hu Fu and Yuan Huaimin, but even Ye Weilai and Pei Shisan Niang couldn't help but look at Ouyang Rong with inexplicable expressions.
Ouyang Rong asked a strange question:
"What does Madam wish to see me for?"
He paused, then subconsciously asked, "Is there some injustice that requires my intervention?"
Luo Niang shook her head and murmured:
"If there were no injustice, how could there be injustice? It's all fate..."
Ouyang Rong asked seriously:
"Then why is the lady so insistent on seeing me?"
Luo Niang's eyes showed a hint of reminiscence, but she did not speak immediately.
At this moment, Pei Shisan Niang returned with wine and dishes, accompanied by servants, and carried the boxes onto the boat.
Soon, a banquet was set up in front of everyone, and they all sat down cross-legged.
Pei Shisan Niang sat down again next to Ouyang Rong and poured him wine. Ouyang Rong took the wine pot from her hand, leaned forward, and poured a cup of wine for the woman playing the pipa opposite him.
Luo Niang held the wine paddle in her hand, but did not touch the wine cup.
She had been motionless until one moment, when she suddenly swung her hand down, tugging at a string on the pipa. The string was pulled up and then bounced back.
"Zheng—!"
A resounding pipa melody echoed across the painted boat.
The clear, melodious sound made the river seem even more tranquil.
Upon hearing the sound, as if receiving a signal that the pipa music had begun, everyone quieted down and looked at Luo Niang.
The woman playing the pipa tightened the pegs, pulled the thin strings with the plectrum, and then played a few more notes.
Even before the melody was formed, the pipa music was already very emotional, moving the people on the painted boat who were about to part ways.
Especially Ye Weilai.
Noticing something, Ouyang Rong looked down and found that the little girl's hand was unconsciously gripping his wrist tightly, her fingertips turning white.
The sound of the pipa echoed inside the boat, each string mournful and sorrowful, seemingly telling a story of unfulfilled ambitions.
Luo Niang lowered her head and continued to play the piano continuously.
The sound of the pipa alone seemed to tell of countless past events in my heart.
In addition, her melodious voice resonated in Ouyang Rong's and everyone else's ears:
"Speaking of which... I and the young master are old acquaintances."
The young man in the scholar's robe paused, his wine glass still.
"An old...friend?"
The woman held a pipa in her arms, yet her half-open smile was radiant:
"Old friend."
(End of this chapter)
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